Alabama state government agencies will be closed on Friday, the governor's office announced.

Exceptions include critical essential response staff as determined by each Cabinet member, agency director or commissioner.

"Based on the current forecast from the National Weather Service, and because the safety of state employees is of paramount concern, all state offices will be closed on Friday," Gov. Bob Riley said in a press release.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has personnel and de-icing materials, sand and salt, dump trucks and spreaders ready. Any road closures will be posted online at www.dot.state.al.us.

The Alabama Department of Public Safety has every available state trooper on standby status to implement its winter weather operations plan and will be ready to respond to the development of hazardous driving conditions.

In other weather related news, Auburn University has canceled classes and business operations for Friday. Transit operations will be suspended for the day.

Many Birmingham area school systems, colleges, and universities are deciding whether to close and may make announcements Friday morning.

At a University of Alabama at Birmingham forum Thursday, a student asked UAB President Carol Garrison if she would shut down school Friday for the weather.

Garrison explained that school officials always track impending storms and advise students and employees to avoid travel if roads are bad in their area. But this time, she said, watchers expected "a light dusting."